In the Brewing Process

There are analogies between the raw commodity of hops and the product beer. The hop components react just like the beer:

• sensitive to oxygen• sensitive to temperature and change of temperature• sensitive to light• sensitive to time (aging)

In the chapters on the hop varieties and the hop products we have seen that the brewer has a wide range of choices available. Hop products are homogenous, comparatively durable and are controllable in their application. The respective use is dependent on the brewer's goal:

• to impart a "basic bitterness" in the beer with selected bitter hop varieties• to achieve a balanced aroma as a "flavour profile" in the beer with classic aroma hops• to impart physiologically valuable tannins in the beer for "digestibility" with special aroma hops.

Hops in the brew-house

Traditionally the hopping takes place In the wort copper. The time for the dosage varies from the first wort hopping, via the additions directly before casting, up to direct aroma hopping in the whirlpool. After being dosed the hop components pass through the following stages: